


The Runaway

by The_Fault_In_These_Hoes



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Kidnapping, M/M, Omega Im Changkyun | I.M, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25283779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Fault_In_These_Hoes/pseuds/The_Fault_In_These_Hoes
Summary: After being held captive for years at the Starship Facility, Changkyun finally makes a break for it on the eve of his 18th birthday. The Trackers are on the hunt, and he is their prey. Will a chance accident be what saves him, or will he fall victim to the same fate of the Omega's before him?
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon/Im Changkyun | I.M, Im Changkyun | I.M/Everyone, Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Hoseok | Wonho, Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Jooheon, Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Minhyuk, Im Changkyun | I.M/Son Hyunwoo | Shownu, Im Changkyun | I.M/Yoo Kihyun
Comments: 63
Kudos: 244





	1. Chapter 1

Running. He was running, no, he was _sprinting_ through the darkened woods. His breath came out in jagged gasps, the cold winter air burning a trail down his esophagus and painfully filling his lungs. Unfocused eyes catching glimpses of blurred leaves and the flash of a light bouncing every so often. He knew he would not be able to keep it up for long. The adrenaline of the chase had long since died down, he was now working strictly off the need for survival. Everyone knows that you don’t just _leave_ the Starship Facilities. Changkyun knew this, he knew it all to well. Yet, here he was. Trying to put as much distance between him and the Trackers, a group of vicious Alpha’s, currently on his tail.

Rapidly losing the drive to keep running, and nearly giving up completely due to the strain being put on legs that were not use to this much physical activity, he nearly cried out in victory when he found a road. Roads, pavement, cars, things he hasn’t seen much of since he wound up at Starship. He wanted to just lay on the hardened, cracked tar and ground himself with something that was not a pristine white floor, but there was no time to waste. He had made it this far, and it was motivation enough to keep going. Following the stretch of road, still at a hurried pace, he began to grow frantic. There were no passing vehicles. Just silence, broken every so often by the bark of a Tracker picking back up on his scent. He was running out of time.

He heard rustling in the foliage behind him, no more than 100 meters away. Changkyun let out a low whimper. The prospect of going back to Starship terrified him, but not as much as the thought of one of the Tacker guards getting their hands on him first. Albeit hot-headed, the Alpha’s at the facility were typically tamed out of fear of punishment from higher-ups. When faced with an Omega who has just come of age, however, they were known to risk everything to get to them.

Changkyun didn’t want to fall victim to what had happened to so many before him. It was the reason he left on the eve of his 18th birthday. Having already experienced the trauma of both prying hands and eyes outside of the experiments, he knew it would only get worst and more aggressive when his scent glands fully developed. No amount of begging would be able to stop the Trackers or the scientists. The thought made him sick to his stomach. No, he refused to be put through that. But with the Tracker gradually gaining speed on him, he feared he may very well be unable to escape his fate after all.

Then it happened. A small noise, far down and around the bend of the road. If it weren’t for the heightened senses that came with being a wolf, Changkyun would have missed it for sure. Ears now twitching in anticipation, he watched, wide eyed and hopeful as a black sedan came into view. It’s lights barreling tunnels through the blackened night. It wasn’t until he heard the snap of a branch almost directly behind him that he broke from his trance. Without much care or thought, he jumped out into the middle of the road, arms trying to wave them down. _Please, help me!_

He realized a moment too late that the vehicle wasn’t slowing down.

For a brief, blissful moment, there was nothing. There was no pain, no noise, not even the cold penetrated the feeling of nothingness that Changkyun felt. Thinking back to just seconds before the impact, he vaguely recalls how fast the sedan was going when it came around the bend in the road. There wouldn’t have been enough time to stop. It didn’t matter to him anymore, though. Had he known death could be so beautiful, bring him such peace, he would have made sure his previous suicide attempts were more foolproof. It wasn’t until that fear kicked in, the fear of the unknown, that allowed him to accept the air being forced into his lungs. Just like a year prior, someone had the audacity to bring him back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up in an unfamiliar place, all that can be heard are whispers and all he feels is pain.

Everything hurt. The whole front of Changkyun’s chest and abdomen screamed in pain, caused by both the impact and the force of the man currently doing chest compressions on him. If it weren’t for the fact that he was in so much pain that he might pass out, he would be in a state of panic. Thankfully, he was struggling forming coherent thoughts, else he’d beg the stranger to get back in their car and finish the job. No, instead he reached one of his hands up to weakly grip the wrist of the man above him, croaking out the word “hurts,” before falling back into darkness.

He didn’t know what was happening, he didn’t know how much time had passed, and he honestly didn’t feel like caring. Maybe somewhere in the back of his mind, he assumed it was one of the Alpha’s from the facility. He had fully accepted that he would be taken back to Starship and be dealt some god-awful punishments. If he could, he would shudder at the thought. But his body felt as if it were made out of lead. If it weren’t for the hushed whispers in the background, Changkyun would probably have been able to fall back to sleep. The universe was never so kind to him though, and he became more and more aware of the dull pain that seemed to emit from every area on his body.

Sighing to himself, he let one of his eyes slide open. Expecting to see the blindingly white lights and walls of the facilities medical wing, he was pleasantly surprised to see that the walls were a neutral gray. So much easier on the eyes. That slight pleasant feeling was short-lived, however, as the gravity of the situation came flooding back to him.

_I was just hit by a car after running away from Starship. Sure, I got away from them for the time being. But now I am with strangers and I don’t know what they’re going to do with me._

Blinking to get a better look at his surroundings to plan an escape route, the voices he hears become more distinguishable. Ever so slightly, he turns his head towards their direction in hopes of catching the conversation.

“I mean, where did he even come from?” The voice, one he could only describe as having a melodious tone to it, questioned. From what Changkyun could tell, the person the voice belonged to was about his height if not a little taller, with powder pink hair sitting atop his head.

“I-Ki, does it look like I know? I wasn’t the one who hit the poor kid.” This second voice sounded a little deeper and just a touch raspy. This one was taller than the other two in the room, with dark brown hair covering his forehead.

“It was an accident, Min! I swear, he just ran out of nowhere. There wasn’t time to stop!” The third person exclaimed, voice defensive and heavily laced with worry. Whether it was for the young man laying on the table, or for repercussions against himself was unclear. All Changkyun could see was their back, and from this he could better understand why the chest compression’s hurt so much. Getting hit by a car aside, the man seemed to be all muscle.

Getting lost in examining the strange men, his attention was snapped back to the conversation at the mention of the accident.

“Don’t worry Wonho, we know it was an accident. You wouldn’t harm a fly,” the smaller comforted the bigger, placing a hand on his back and rubbing in circles to calm him down. It seemed to be working as the larger of the two seemed to slump into the touch.

“I just…why was he even out there. There’s nothing out that way.” Wonho lifted his hands and let them drop in a defeated gesture. He was only in such a rush to get home because Ki had promised him an extra portion of dinner if he made it on time. Needless to say, he was late.

“Well, whatever his reason’s for being there, I’m sure someone is looking for him,” said Ki, brow knotted with worry. When Wonho had carried the unconscious boy through the door, everything in Ki screamed protect. He didn’t understand it, but that need to help threw him into mother mode. Taking care to get their pack doctor to check on him, going so far as to sit up with him the last two days changing out cold compresses to lower his fever.

“Yeah, you’d have to be crazy to let a cute pup like him run off,” Min thought aloud. If he was from a pack, they surely would be looking for him again. And as most, healthy, packs go, there would be no reason that would make a pup who hadn’t even grown into their sub gender yet venture out on their own. The thought that this cute pup was out in a dark forest in the middle of the night, with a snowstorm raging, didn’t sit right with him.

“I guess we’ll bring him back there once he’s healed up and see if we can find his pac-“ Wonho stopped himself mid-sentence. All three men whipped their heads towards the boy on the table, who had visibly curled in on himself and was squeezing his eyes shut. If the image of him in fetal position didn’t concern them, then the heart-wrenching scent of fear and hopelessness certainly did.

Against his will, he let out a low whimper. He didn’t want to do it, but instinct took over in the uncertainty of it all. Almost immediately, Changkyun found himself being enveloped in the most calming smell of lavender and what he would describe as the fog following a warm rain. As much as he wanted to stay in that ball, blocking away the thoughts of going back to that place, he slowly started to loosen up. The scents coming to him in waves. He had never smelled anything like it before, never felt it with such pure intentions. Not even the Mother’s at the facility could produce something so nullifying for his fears and anxieties.

After what felt like an eternity of holding their breath, the three men finally untensed themselves when they saw the small form on the table start to relax. Turning to Ki, Min and Wonho gave him grateful smiles. There was nothing that could beat the genuine motherly care that only a great Beta could offer. Ki returned it, knowing full-well that he was a damn good Beta.

With the young man calmed down, they faced a new dilemma. How to approach him without scaring the poor thing. Making sure the two Alpha’s kept their distance, Ki took tentative steps in the direction of the pup, being sure to not alarm him. The closer he got, he soon realized that the boy had actually fallen back to sleep. Staring at his face, Ki felt something swell within him. Something he immediately tried to trample back down in fear of what it meant for their pack. With a small smile on his face, Ki pulled a blanket over the sleeping form and petted his hair down, being sure to give his ears a good rub. This earned him the most adorable purring noise from the pup. Letting out a sigh, he turned to see the two alphas already cooing to each other in whispers over how cute the pup was, wanting a turn to pet it. Ki simply walked up to them both and dragged them out by the ears, hushing them the whole way down the hall. Whatever questions they had for the boy could wait until the rest of the pack returned home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested, next chapter! Trying to make them a bit longer for ya'll :)
> 
> Thank you so much to @CanaryAtLaw for agreeing to be my beta reader, and for the edit suggestions you've made for this chapter! Looking forward to cranking out more work! <3

To say that Shownu was having a rough day was an understatement. Not only was he late for a meeting that morning, having been drawn into a hardcore cuddle session with Kihyun, but one of their deals fell through unexpectedly. Not to mention the unconscious boy they had laying in their home. He was relieved when their pack doctor informed him that the injuries did not warrant an emergency room visit. Shownu wasn’t sure how he was going to bring a pup into a hospital, undocumented, without being questioned heavily by the staff. It’s bad for business when people ask too many questions about their line of work.

His drive home felt excruciatingly long, he wanted nothing more than to eat a warm meal and talk with his pack. So when he finally parked his car, he nearly sprinted into the house. He expected many things: the smell of dinner being made, the intermingling scents of his pack members, he even was prepared for the strange smell of Wonho’s new health shake mystery blend (he had this creeping suspicion that the fit man had put turkey and kale in it). What Shownu was not expecting was the scent of confusion mixed with fear, and a crashing noise coming from the living room.

Rushing inside to investigate, he stops in his tracks when a small form runs smack dab into him, bouncing off without even budging the Alpha. Looking down, he finally processes that he was staring at the boy who was, to his knowledge, still unconscious. Confused and concerned, Shownu reached down to help him up. He was not prepared for the speed at which the boy moved to scurry away into the opposite corner of the room. He lay on his belly under the corner table, ears flat to his head and limbs pulled close to his sides. The look of utter fear on his face was heartbreaking, and it only fueled Shownu’s innate nature to protect. Glancing around the room, he notices Minhyuk on the couch, and a now shattered glass that once held water on the floor. He is sporting his own look of concern, and while it couldn’t be seen, Shownu could smell he was hurt by whatever rejection must’ve just happened.

“Min, what happened? Why is he so freaked out?” Shownu turned slightly towards Minhyuk, keeping his eyes on the pup.

“I just went to go check on him. Ki went to the store to buy some ingredients for food when he woke up and everyone else was still on their way home from work. I heard him crying out, I…I just wanted to make sure he was all right.”

Min was playful in nature; he typically didn’t handle serious things all too well, and he got along best with the younger pack members. When he heard the boy cry, it kickstarted something in him. Very rarely did he feel the need to care for and protect others, he was too laid back for that. It wasn’t until he had joined this pack that he fully accepted his sub-gender. Now, he had a family to love and protect. Those were feelings he reserved strictly for them, at least that’s what he thought. Then Wonho happened to walk in one day, panicked, and carrying a small limp form.

It wasn’t like with his other pack members, slowly falling for them the more he got to know them. No, this was instantaneous. The moment he laid eyes on the young man, he knew he would have difficulties letting him go back to his pack. The thought caused his stomach to turn with uncertainty.

Shownu let out a heavy sigh, wishing that Kihyun would walk through the door any minute. Of course, that was wishful thinking. Shaking his head, he had to remind himself of his responsibilities, not only as an Alpha, but also as his pack’s leader. With this in mind, he sat on the floor and motions for Min to do the same.

“Hey little one, we’re not here to hurt you. We won’t move a single muscle until you’re comfortable with us, all right?” Shownu spoke softly, giving the pup a small smile and nodding at him. Min, to his right, was trying to put on the softest look he could muster.

The pup simply stared at them, chest still heaving. After what seemed like an eternity, or maybe ten minutes and some slight leg cramps, the young man came up into a crouching position. Neither Alpha moved, only their eyes followed his actions. He took a few tentative steps towards the front hallway that Shownu had come through, all the while eying up the two men on the floor. When neither had moved so much as a muscle, Changkyun sprinted to the hallway and to the door, barreling out onto the front lawn and into a pile of snow. Scrambling back up, he ran for a few more yards and came to an immediate stop when he noticed something. He couldn’t smell the Alphas anymore. He couldn’t even hear them coming after him.

“Shouldn’t we go after him? What if he gets hurt again?!” Min was starting to panic. At least when the pup was in the corner, he could see if he were okay. Everything in him screamed FIND HIM. And just when he was about to follow instinct, the look on his pack leaders face made him stop.

Shownu did not like being overly-commanding, his main concern was always making sure everyone was taken care of. But given the fragility of the situation, he knew it was best to keep Min seated.

“Let’s not give him any more reason to run off. I know you want to make sure he’s okay, but you need to see it from his perspective. He was hit by a car someone in  _ our _ pack was driving, woke up in a place he’s unfamiliar with, and is now seeing his opportunity to make it out without being harmed by us.” Min went to interject, but Shownu continued,

“I know none of us would so much as scold a pup, but he doesn’t know that. And given his reaction to both you and me, I’m seriously worried about how his pack was treating him.” Another sigh left Shownu’s lips, he feared he‘d be doing much more of that in the near future. Both men stayed seated in the living room, tension growing with every passing minute. Tension that was only broken when they caught the light step of a barefoot on hardwood and smelled the pup re-enter the home.

Min fought himself to stay still, trying not to further alarm the boy. He observed as the pup came in, on all fours as if in his primal state, and began sniffing around Shownu. Min himself hadn’t done that since he was a child, teachers telling him it was crude behavior and that they were more “civilized” than that. The thought, while annoying, made him think on how the pup was brought up. Ask anyone in the pack, and they would tell you that they experienced similar- if not the same- interactions growing up. It just made Min all the more curious about the pack he came from.

The boy crept closer and closer to Shownu, breathing in his scent deeply, trying to find any hint of ill-intention. When there was nothing but concern and the smell of pine, the pup whipped around to Min and headed to him to investigate. Heart beating like it might break from his ribcage, Minhyuk stared past the pup in an attempt to stay still. Thinking he was getting the same smell-down as Shownu, he wasn’t ready for the pup to bury his nose into the crook of his neck. The action was so sudden that he almost yelped like a pup himself. Hearing a sort of snort-laugh, he glanced at Shownu who was trying his best not to explode with laughter, shoulders beginning to shake. Min shot him a glare, face growing redder with each deep breath the pup took.

Finally, mercifully, the pup backed off. Satisfied that he only smelt wood smoke and confused by the embarrassment he sensed there as well, he still remained somewhat on guard. He looked as if he were about to speak when suddenly the front door flew open, and everyone seemed to enter all at once. Conversations seemed to cut immediately the moment they entered the living room. The pup, now seeing new faces, scurried behind Min’s back and hid, shaking. Worried, Min turned to face the pup and nervously reached out one of his hands.

Before he even had a chance to shy away from the touch, Changkyun’s inner Omega began to stir, ever so slightly. He suddenly wanted to be touched and petted. His body was craving for affection and affirmations, and he didn’t quite understand it. It was like a second personality was waking up within him. Unsure of what was happening, he simply leaned into the gesture. His eyes turned into content slits as the one he recognized as being called “Min” ran a hand through his mop of brown hair. It was heavenly, not having someone aggressively yanking his head back by his hair. He nearly forgot who he was. It wasn’t until he happened to open his eyes back up that he remembered what was happening. He glanced at all the faces, feeling calmer and more refreshed than he had ever felt before. There was something to the way they looked at him, they gave him the same feeling his mother gave him when she would look at him as a child, though with something a bit more animalistic behind it.

The silence in the room was palpable, and it was driving him nearly insane. Unprompted and uncomfortable, he spoke, his deep voice somewhat raspy from lack of use, and eyes casted to the floor.

“Hello, I-I’m Changkyun.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha guess who's back for an indeterminate amount of time.... :)
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!

“Hello, I-I’m Changkyun.”

There was a moment of stunned silence, no one had even seen the pup conscious yet, let alone heard him speak. And when he did speak, the instant euphoria that ran through the pack was only amplified by their pack bond. There was something about the richness of his voice, and how surprisingly deep it was, that had chills going up and down their spines. They all simply stared at him, at a loss for words.  
Min, still sat in front of Changkyun, could feel how uncomfortable he was getting with the drawn-out silence. Breaking it with a cough, he introduced himself.  
“Hey Changkyun, I’m Minhyuk! But you can call me Min if you’d like!” He gave a smile, albeit a nervous one as he was still on edge from the incident that had passed merely minutes ago. He did not want to scare the pup off again. So, it was beyond relieving when Changkyun returned a small smile of his own with a bow of his head. Min took this as the “ok” to introduce the rest of the pack members.  
Gesturing to the other seated member, he started.

“This is Shownu, he’s our pack leader” and Min pauses, seeing an opportunity to loosen up the atmosphere a bit. Leaning towards Changkyun and speaking in an exaggerated whisper so that all could hear him, he continued “I know, he looks big and scary, but I swear, he’s really just a giant teddy bear. Don’t let him tell you any different.”  
Shownu, quickly picking up on what he was doing, played along by making a loud gasping noise. Putting a hand across his chest, he merely pouted, further driving home the teddy bear point. This pulled a small giggle from the pup, encouraging Min to continue.

“And this is Kihyun, we like to call him eomma, but Ki works too” he said, a huge smile on his face. Ki scowled at Min, but flashed Changkyun a soft and welcoming smile. Changkyun couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm wash over him as he noticed a smell that he could only equate to his memory of birthday cakes, vanilla and sweet, not realizing that Ki was letting off his scent to further comfort the pup.  
Shifting attention, Min introduced a tall, sleepy looking man. “This is Hyungwon, he loves naps.”

“Is that all I get in way of an introduction?” Hyungwon asked, a perfectly plucked brow lifted. Min shrugged, “do something more memorable than napping, then we can talk.” Hyungwon rolled his eyes, but the effect was lacking when he immediately broke out into a sleepy smile. When he looked at him, Changkyun imagined naps with him might be pretty nice. Hell, looking at him made him feel warm and sleepy by proxy.  
Hyungwon, feeling tired of standing on his own, slipped his arms around someone slightly shorter than himself and with fiery orange hair. “Hyung stoooooop” whined the red head.

“But Jooheon, you’re just so cozy to lean on” mumbled Hyungwon, it looked as if he would drift off at any moment.

“That’s Jooheon, he’s our youngest. Our own personal ball of sunshine.” Min beamed a smile as he introduced him, it made Changkyun more curious about the red head. He wondered what it would be like to have sunshine in his life. Before he could ponder it any further, Min continued. “Oh, and we can’t forget the resident bunny! Wonho, where are-“ Min stopped mid-sentence, realizing Wonho had begun sneaking down the main hall. Unfortunate for the bulky man, the floorboards creaked with each step he took.  
Shownu finally spoke “Uh…Wonho, what are you doing?” Coming to a complete stop, Wonho gave a casual shrug, “just going to put the groceries away, why?” While he did great at hiding it in his voice, he apparently forgot the bond the rest shared. They could feel it, Wonho was scared.

Kihyun approached him, concern evident on his face. “What’s wrong, hyung?” Despite not wanting to speak, the look on Ki’s face was enough to break him. Bad enough he was feeling scared, he did not want his pack members feeling worried for him. Without saying anything to Ki, Wonho turned back to the living room and took a few determined strides towards the pup. Changkyun began to back up, body getting low to the ground and ears once again flat to his head. Before he could back all the way into the corner, Wonho dropped down to his level, essentially slamming his face into the hardwood floor.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Changkyun was actually enjoying all the introductions, he had never been given such courtesy’s in the Starship facility. He had never even considered calling anyone from anything other than their sub-gender, it’s just not how he was ”raised.” Everything seemed to be going fine, until Min went to introduce the last pack member. It was then that Changkyun felt the obvious shift in the air. The thing he was feeling roll off the last person was a sort of fear. But for what, he could not be sure.

Spirits being suddenly dampened, Changkyun watched on as Ki tried to figure out what was wrong. And just as quickly as the man tried to sneak away, he suddenly was walking in Changkyun’s direction. Unsure of what was happening, he panicked. Feeling fear build up within him, he had begun backing into a corner. Images of previous beatings and even worst things began tripping through his minds eye, rapidly building into a panic attack. As he felt he was going to have a full-on breakdown, something unexpected happened. This man, this definite Alpha who was much larger than Changkyun, had dropped down to his level. Concern immediately flooded Changkyun as the Alpha’s head collided with the floor.  
The fear having dissipated from his chest, Changkyun crept forward a bit. Another feeling in him urging him to comfort the other. He pushed down the nauseous feeling he got whenever he thought about his sub-gender finally blossoming. It was something that he constantly feared, having seen what happened to other Omega’s at the facility. Shaking the thought, he reached a hand out and tentatively put his hand on the back of the others head.  
“Are you okay, Wonho?” he asked, recalling the Alpha’s name. When he felt the other tense beneath his touch, he thought back to how Min ran his hand through his hair and how it seemed to put him at ease. Repeating the action for Wonho, he could feel the other begin to calm down. 

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

After what felt like hours, but in reality, was only really a few minutes, Wonho lifted his head so that he was face to face with the pup. When he felt his small hand on his head, it had sent a jolt through him that he couldn’t really explain. It made him wish he could focus all of his nerves to that one place. And when the pup said his name with that voice and began to pet him as a means to comfort the bigger of the two, he damn near melted into a puddle. The warmth that spread across him made him feel full and complete. He thought the feeling he had with his pack was something that came full circle, but in a few mere gestures, he realized that maybe that circle was missing just one more part.

Realizing he had been staring at Changkyun, he shook his head and spoke, a dam breaking free with all of his thoughts in tow. “I-I am so sorry. I know you probably don’t want to hear this, and I know it’s probably unforgivable, but I am so sorry I hurt you. I didn’t see you in the street that night, and you looked so scared and shocked when I did see you, but it was too late. I’m sorry I did this and I’m sorry I took you away from where your pack might be. But I didn’t know of any packs in the area and I-I…” he trailed off, at a loss for words. Feeling tears burn at the back of his eyes, he tilted his head back, baring his neck. A small gasp travelling amongst the other pack members. An Alpha does not simply bare their neck, it is a sign of submission and, in this case, a sign of repayment. Essentially, he was opening himself up for Changkyun to take out any anger or rage he might harbor. He waited, so sure that the pup would pounce. He could take it, he thought he deserved any pain inflicted. 

What he was not expecting was the feeling of soft skin rubbing against his exposed flesh. It was about as startling as it would’ve been had he been attacked. Staying still, he felt as the pup continued to rub his face along his neck and collarbone area. Wonho could feel the low purr coming from him and it caused another part of him to start warming up. Becoming increasingly worried about what his body was doing, he let out a silent sigh of relief when the other finally backed away. Bringing his head back down, and once again face-to-face with the Changkyun, he cocked his head to the side in confusion.

“Aren’t you..aren’t you angry?” 

“Why would I be angry?” the other questioned, sporting his own confused look and matching Wonho’s cocked head. 

“I mean, I did hit you with a car and probably took you far from home.” At the mention of “home,” Changkyun’s scent flashed the briefest moment of fear, causing Shownu to get up.

“All right, all right. I think we’ve had enough introductions and apologies for the day, and I have been hungry since before I even got home” his point being driven home by the rumble from his stomach, the noise echoing in the silent room. After a brief moment, someone laughed. They laughed and laughed as if it were the funniest thing they had ever heard. It was filled with such a pure and innocent joy that if felt child-like in nature, and caused all of the pack members to look at the strange pup. His face filled with such joy at the funny hyung and the noise his tummy had made. And as his laughter died down to small giggles, he smiled at Ki and asked “eomma, may I eat with you?”

That’s when Kihyun felt it stir in him too, the feeling of not wanting to let the pup go. “Of course you can! I’m gonna get started on dinner now, Jooheon come help me.” Kihyun went off to the kitchen, more excited about making dinner than he ever had been before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'll be real ya'll, I typed this at like 1 am because I got really happy after reading a comment on the previous chapter. It was a cute enough motivator for me to continue :)

Kihyun set to work in the kitchen, appointing Jooheon as his Sous Chef. After directing him to start chopping the fresh vegetables they had just brought home. Turning around, Ki went rifling through the fridge and pulled out a block wrapped in brown paper and tied off with twine.

“Wait, don’t tell me…” before Jooheon could even finish the thought, Shownu came barreling into the kitchen.

“We’re having MEAT?!” The large Alpha’s voice bellowed throughout the large home. The smile on his face stretching from ear to ear and the excitement evident on his face. Behind him, Changkyun followed. After introductions, he was feeling much more at ease in this new environment. He had never seen a group quite like this, his life experiences being greatly limited to Trackers, scientists, the Mothers, and the few people he knew in his age group at the facility. There was something about all of them, even the one who hit him with the car, that made him feel secure, it’s what he imagined a real home felt like. Something akin to how his actual mother made him feel when he was very very young.

Shaking the distant memories away, he walked in. Unlike the living room, however, he felt comfortable enough to enter on two legs. Jooheon noticed the smaller framed boy, somewhat hiding behind their pack leader. Flashing him a smile, he gestured for the pup to come closer.

“You wanna see what we’re making?” Jooheon watched as Changkyun’s eye’s lit up. The small pup approached him, eyes focused on what was being chopped up. 

“What is that?” Changkyun asked. Seeing the confusion on Jooheon’s face, he gestured to the vegetables on the cutting board. “What are those? They’re so colorful.” 

The silence that all three men shared was deafening. Choosing his words carefully, Ki spoke up. “Hey, Changkyun, what do you and your pack eat?” The pup responded, still transfixed on the colors on the cutting board, “the Mothers give us nutrient cubes.” An even more intense silence followed.

Ki shot a look up to Shownu and mouthed ‘Mothers?’ The older of the two shrugged, just as confused. Jooheon was the next to speak up. “What’s a nutrient cube?” Now it was Changkyun’s turn to be confused. How do they not know what a nutrient cube is?

“You know, it’s how you get all of your vitamins. They’re really dry though, so you have to drink lots of water with them.” Seeing their faces, he suddenly felt self-conscious but continued. “Uh, the Mother’s at the facility were the ones who fed them to us…you guys have them too, right?

As Changkyun seemed to shrink more and more in on himself, something occurred to Shownu. Something that he hadn’t even considered, despite their line of work. Hell, there were all sort of red flags for it. The circumstances under which Wonho found him, wandering alone at night in an area with no known packs. The way he went to such primitive lengths when he felt scared or threatened. The abysmal fear that seeped from him for that brief moment when the concept of taking him back to where he came from had come up. And now this, nutrient cubes and not even knowing what vegetables were. No, there was something inherently wrong here.

“Jooheon, go ahead and explain to Changkyun what those are, he seems very curious!” Shownu said it with much gusto, but Jooheon could sense a bit of apprehension coming from him. Doing as he was told, he turned his high-beam smile back on and enthusiastically started to explain what carrots, and onions, and bell peppers were, along with every other vegetable he could think of. Shownu gestured for Ki to follow him to the hall. Once there, they could here Changkyun asking about what certain things were, sensing his comfort level growing with every question that Jooheon was more than happy to answer.

“What the heck is that, how does he not know what vegetables are?” Ki asked. He was socked, by the sound of it these “Mothers” weren’t doing too great of a job feeding their children. Though something Ki had thought of when he first saw the pup finally clicked, he remembered looking at the near lifeless form and having one thing flash across his mind that made his motherly nature go into over-drive. Skinny. 

“Ki, I need you to remain calm” Shownu lead with this, because he knew what he said next would cause the small beta to go into a frenzy. Sighing and raking through his short brown hair with one hand, he explained his theory. “I think…I think Changkyun might have been from a breeding facility.”

Kihyun’s breath caught in his throat. The world seemed to stop all around him. He hadn’t heard of any known facilities like that for years now. And while their work wasn’t exactly the cleanest, he absolutely despised such places. One place had tried to take him when he was younger, but he was lucky enough to have such an amazing bond with a particular Alpha that they didn’t make it far with him. And now that very same Alpha stood in front of him, with the belief that these operations still existed.

“I see…it might explain something else I noticed before while he was unconscious.” Ki hesitated a moment, not wanting to remember the sight. “Other than being so skinny and small, when I was bandaging his wounds, there were definitely prominent marks that came long before the car accident.”

The concern that both had for the pup suddenly grew exponentially. They knew they couldn’t take him back there.

“For now, this stay between us. We need to assess how back the psychological and physical damage is so we can go from there.” Nodding, the two headed back into the kitchen.  
They walked into the adorable view of Jooheon teaching Changkyun how to cut vegetables. Arms wrapped around Changkyun’s own and helping to make sure he didn’t accidentally cut himself. If it weren’t for the news Ki had just received, he would’ve cooed and petted the younger ones.

As the thought flitted across his mind, he came to yet another realization.

“Changkyun?” 

“Yes?” the younger responded, smiling brightly as he successfully cut an onion. Before Ki could ask the question, he heard the thundering footsteps of the rest of the pack. 

Wonho’s gaze was transfixed on the brown package that hid the promise of delicious meat, and Min and Hyungwon followed with the intent to play with the puppy more, all while keeping a respectful distance in fear of scaring him again. Before it started to get too rowdy though, Ki continued.

“How old are you?” Suddenly, all eyes were on Changkyun. And while he was certainly liking these complete strangers much more than he did everyone at the facilities, he once again felt himself get self-conscious. In fear of combusting under the probing stares, he managed to mumble a “just turned 18” under his breath.

“Oh! Jooheon, we have someone even younger than you now!” Hyungwon teased the red head, who put on a playful pout, but his body radiated excitement from no longer being the baby in the house. After hearing this, Jooheon immediately insisted that the pup call him hyung.

“Ah, okay. Thank you for teaching me so many things today hyung.” The genuine smile that Changkyun shot Jooheon caused the older to squeal. He glanced at all of his hyungs, “Is this what it’s like for you guys when you get called hyung?” The look of absolute glee was infectious and had them all grinning.

“Wait, so tell me little puppy, when was your birthday?” Changkyun blushed, he had been called many things over the years but puppy certainly wasn’t one of them.

“What’s today?”

This time, Wonho responded, stuffing slices of carrots in his mouth, “January 27th.”

“Then it was yesterday.” The matter-of-fact tone caused Wonho to cough up his carrots. Through their pack bond, they all seemed able to communicate as a group. As a collective, they agreed that tonight would be a celebration for their new stray friend.

************************************************************************************

Having successfully kicked all of the pack members out, Changkyun included, Kihyun went back into the kitchen bringing only Jooheon with him. They two got back to work on the special meal to celebrate the now conscious Changkyun as well as his just passed birthday. Wonho agreed to head out to get a birthday cake, balloons, and ice cream. Min and Shownu were tasked with going to any and all shops to get him gifts. Ki would provide no less than an absolutely amazing birthday party for the pup. He had only been in their care for a few day, and of that time had only been conscious for a couple of hours of it, but Kihyun refused to take him back to where he came from. In his heart of hearts, he had already been adopted into the pack.

In the living room, Hyungwon had managed to convince Changkyun that a nap was a lovely thing that should be done daily. As the facility had them on strict sleep and wake cycles, the concept confounded him. But, with his body still on the mend from the accident, allowing his eyes to rest for a bit longer sounded amazing. And all was well, until Hyungwon tried to scoot closer to cuddle with the smaller. While Hyungwon meant nothing by it, simply wanting a cuddle buddy like he finds in all of the other pack members, Changkyun was sent into a small panic and began to scurry away from the touch. Hyungwon sat up, immediately concerned. He saw the way the smaller was protectively curling in on himself, very obviously protecting certain parts of his body, causing a small feeling of dread to form in the pit of his stomach.

It occurred to Hyungwon that he was maybe being a bit too lax in how he wanted to treat the puppy. He saw something cute, soft, and cuddly and wanted to nap with it. He didn’t realize how that might translate to the person who would receive his affections. 

Racking his brain, he remembered something he learned in school when they discussed encountering wild animals. Keeping his tone light, he laid on his back against the pillows and let his arms fall beside him, and just hummed a random tune to lighten the atmosphere. After some time, he noticed Changkyun finally unwind his body. Closing his eyes, Hyungwon essentially was letting Changkyun know that he could do as he pleased to him in order to get comfortable.

Much like he did with Wonho, Changkyun rubbed his face across the taller man’s neck and even across his face. He didn’t even realize it, but it was the equivalent to trying to mark someone with your scent glands. His just haven’t finished developing yet. And while it wasn’t exactly effective in that manner, it surely was good for his mental health as a means of getting personal with someone knew. It helped him to determine his intent, and Changkyun was a pretty damn good judge of character now after everything he’s been through.  
Thoroughly content in his comforting actions, he let out a satisfied purr and proceeded to curl up against the others lanky build. Changkyun could feel how happy the tall boy was, which in turn made him feel even more calm. After a moment, he could feel Hyungwon tentatively place an arm around him. This time, however, he merely leaned into it, his mind already drifting off.

After some time, Changkyun felt a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him awake. Realizing there was a lack of Hyungwon next to him, the pup slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He glanced at the window and realized it was already well into the night. Once his vision cleared, he realized he was looking into the face of Shownu.

There was something about the Alpha’s in this place that just seemed so safe to Changkyun, a word he had never considered using when thinking of the intimidating beings at the Starship facility. Still in the waking trance of sleep, Changkyun felt it again, he felt the Omega take over him again. He could tell, soon his sub-gender would be fully revealed.  
“Hey little one, come with me for a bit” Shownu whispered, his low voice washing over Changkyun. Without thinking, he reached his arms out in a grabby gesture towards the Alpha and simply said “up.”

It caused butterflies in Shownu’s stomach, there was something to the sleepy, pleading look that the pup gave him that had his Alpha longing to mark him. But, luckily, Shownu’s experience over the years has taught him how to think before acting. Pushing down the butterflies and giving the small form a smile, he gladly obliged.

Letting Changkyun put his arms around his neck, Shownu hoisted him up. As soon as he was in the air, Changkyun wrapped his legs around the older man’s waist and proceeded to nuzzle into his neck. He vaguely remembered a comment that the Alpha had made about “keeping calm,” but the pup paid it no mind.

As Shownu walked them down the hall, the most amazing aroma hit his nose, bringing him to full consciousness. And as they entered the dining area, the light was suddenly turned on. As his eyes adjusted, he was greeted by the sight of all the other members of the household, the foods that Jooheon and Ki had been making earlier in the evening, and a large cake with candles on the top. Of the food items, the only thing he knew for sure was that it was a birthday cake. He hadn’t had one since he was 3 years old.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHANGKYUN!” the group shouted. The pup was at a loss. They were actually celebrating him?

Shownu, having set him down, patted him on the head. “Happy Birthday pup.”

For the remainder of his first night in their pack house, Changkyun ate delicious foods for the first time, got cake that he could only have dreamed of in his wildest dreams, and opened presents for the first time in his life. To say that teaching him how to chew was a challenge was an understatement. But, once he stopped just inhaling it all in, he realized how delicious food was, especially meat. He decided that pork was his favorite food in the world. He never had anything to compare nutrient cubes to, and having experienced this, he never wanted to go back to them. And as far as presents go, he wasn’t quite sure what to do with them. He had less interest in the actual items and more interest in opening them, playing with every bag and every piece of wrapping paper he tore apart. For the first time in Changkyun’s life, he came to the realization that birthdays are something to be celebrated. 

After the festivities had died down, Changkyun found himself feeling tired once more. Who knew getting hit by a car could make you so tired. But, the pack knew that he was still healing and he would probably be sleeping lots for a little while longer. It wasn’t until late in the night that they set him up in one of the guest rooms, Wonho having carried him and tucking him into a bed, already lost to sleep. The rest of them gathered in the room to further coo over him as he lightly snored. One by one, they went off to bed. Ki and Shownu remained, watching over him for just a little while longer.

“So, what are we going to do?” Ki asked, breaking the silence.

“We’re not letting him go back there.” 

“Oh trust me, in my mind this is already his room.” Ki smiled softly at the sleeping form.

Ruffling his hair, Shownu reassured him that all would be well. “For now, though, let’s get some rest. We can come up with a game plan tomorrow.”

Nodding, Ki followed Shownu to their room, the two crawling into bed together, wrapping themselves up in each other’s arms, sleep taking them almost instantly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW - Alludes to rape/sexual assault
> 
> Wow look at me, 3 chapters in one week!  
> Please enjoy <3

“Subject I.M., please get up. We have a long day in the labs ahead of us.”

As if a switch had been turned on, the boy suddenly opened his eyes. He looked around the room slowly, taking in the whiteness of the walls, the bright lights further amplifying the complete lack of color.

Sitting up in his bunk, he stared blankly at the Mother that was attending to him that day. She had unremarkable features. Straight black hair that just brushed her shoulders with large black eyes, darkness that made her porcelain skin appear stark in comparison. Looking at her, I.M. knew well enough he would find no warmth there. Sometimes, when he was younger, he would try to hug the Mothers in hopes of recreating the warmth he once felt with his actual mother, but to no avail.

Sighing, he threw his legs over the edge of the bed and got up to change. It was futile to think any further on it, it would only make the ache worst. His memories of warmth were just that, memories. It was simply a term he thought of now anytime he found himself yearning for something he himself couldn’t even remember. How does one go about defining warmth, other than turning on the heat in a room so you don’t freeze?

Shaking the thought away, he went about his morning. After changing, he stood in front of the Mother and opened his mouth. Placing the nutrient cube on his tongue and handing him a glass of water, the Mother stared intently as he chewed and swallowed, washing it down with the whole glass. Satisfied with what she saw, she began leading him out the door and down the hall to the testing are of the facility.

The cube’s used to leave a strange taste in his mouth, but he had grown accustom to it over the years. When he was smaller, taking one would cause the worst fevers to rack through his body. His clothes would drench in sweat, and he would experience the strangest sensations across his skin. And as he grew, he would be given different nutrient cubes. Each cube brought about an even more intense bought of fever and sensation he couldn’t quite explain. The closest thing he could think to compare it to was the compressing of a spring that never got the chance to launch off. He hated it.

He smelled it before he saw it. Eyes going wide and turning to throw his arms up to shield himself, I.M. found himself being completely flattened by a Tracker. The large Alpha had the boy pinned down, taking in deep breathes of him. Oh how the larger being wanted nothing more than to rip through those clothes and have his way.

Before the Tracker could start acting on those fantasies, the Mother nearby simply pointed a small remote at him and pressed. The scream that ripped from the Trackers throat was ear piercing and had shaken the boy beneath him from his stunned state. The Tracker thoroughly distracted, he wiggled his way out from under him and stood close to the Mother that acted as his guide for the day.

As a team of scientists and more guards dragged the rouge Tracker away, the Mother continued on their path to the testing area. The boy followed, trying to shake the feeling of hands on him. It wasn’t the first time something like this happened to him, and each time it did he had always hoped it would be the last. But it never was. Without fail, around this time of year, the assaults became more frequent. The most frightening encounter happening the year prior when a Tracker got loose and found its way into his room. He cried and screamed as it ripped his clothes from him and began toying with his body. He narrowly escaped being penetrated when guards stormed the room. He remembered them dragging the Tracker away, and him being poked and prodded by the scientists. Once they were satisfied with the data they collected, they left him there. He remembered the heat from his tears as he wailed into night. There was no warmth in it, only ice-cold air.

Rounding the corner and finally making it to their destination, he was told to strip. He complied, not giving it a second thought, the incident that had just taken place already being repressed. It was just another day, after all. He stood, completely naked in front of the scientist. It was the usual person, hair slicked back and a scowl permanently etched on his face.

After jotting down his temperature and overall measurements, the scientist began to speak, the microphone in the center of the lab picking up every noise.

“After general examinations, Subject I.M. seems to be in decent health. Body has maintained the desired slimming effect caused by his medication, as proven earlier by the released Tracker.”

 _Wait, did he say_ released _tracker?_ The man continued.

“We are now performing the rectal and genital examination.”

Knowing this part too well, and hating every moment of it, I.M. leant over the cold metal table, propping himself up on his hands. It always made his stomach turn in the worst ways. He felt as the scientist gripped him, measuring and checking for an bumps or abrasions. Then, he went on to the rectal exam.

Despite the disgust the boy felt at the ministrations of the man, he couldn’t fight the very small part of him that seemed to plead for the touch. He thought it made him disgusting too, that maybe he was suppose to like it. But in the back of his mind, he knew that something about it wasn’t meant to be okay.

After being thoroughly violated, I.M. let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. The man, completely unaffected, told him to get dressed.

“Test Subject I.M. has begun to produce slick on his own, correlating with the accelerants he’s been taking. We will be upping the dosages moving forward.”

I.M. swallowed, that meant he’d have to get use to the new nutrient cubes again, which meant more feverish nights. He was not looking forward to that.

After a few more tests, he was sent to the Commons with the Mother. It was a place where all the Omega’s in the facility could, essentially, get their fix for physical touch. But I.M. never partook in it. Never the cuddle piles, never the kissing, never the sex, despite constantly being encouraged by staff to do so. He avoided it out of fear for what it would do to him. After seeing some of the people in his own age group drop off into the Commons one by one, they never came out quite the same. They always had these glazed looks on their faces, and I.M. one time witnessed the Mothers there feed the Omega’s something that seemed to cause their frenzy. It terrified him. Not because of the physical intimacy, but because those Omega’s seemed to forget about everything. All that mattered was making it back to the Commons.

As he followed the Mother, already dead set on reading, he heard something roll past him. Stopping in his tracks, I.M. looked down and saw something that stood out bright against the white. Approaching it, he reached out and picked it up. It was red and wasn’t quite round.

_A bell pepper._

He shook his head, not quite sure what he was thinking about. Rapidly blinking, the item seemed to disappear into thin air and he was left staring at his empty hand. Confused, he stood up, and realized they had made it to the Commons.

A little unnerved, he entered and went immediately to the books. He approached the Mother that always worked that area. Her back was to him and he slowed in his approach, taking a deep breath. Other than the general depravity of the Commons, there was another reason I.M. found himself coming to the library area.

“Excuse me Mother, may I have a book?” At the sound of his voice, the woman turned around and gave him the same empty smile that all the Mothers seemed to have plastered on their faces. Just like all the Mothers, she had the perfectly straight hair and the drastically pale skin. Her large dark eyes seemed to pierce through him.

“What would you like to read today, Subject I.M.?” she asked, the smile never wavering. The way she said his name always left him feeling hollow, but he put on a smile despite it.

“The Art of Submission, please.” He didn’t quite like the book, but he could stare blankly at the pages unbothered. He really just needed it to seem busy.

“Of course,” she disappeared to grab the book, taking a little more time than one would have thought necessary. Upon her return, she held the book out to him. As he went to grab it from her, she leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

His eyes went wide, and his head shot up to stare at her. He saw, he saw the slightest flicker of it in her eyes. And just as soon as it was there, it was gone again. It made him think that maybe he had just imagined it. As she seemed to be the same Mother that he had approached, he decided that it must have just been his wishful thinking.

Sighing, he trudged to a quite corner in the library and opened the book to read. When he did, he nearly dropped it. Nestled inside the book sleeve of _The Art of Submission,_ was his favorite book. He hadn’t seen a copy of it in years, the facility having burned copies of all the books they deemed “inappropriate” to the Omega’s. His heart pounded as he stared at the Mother that gave him the book, the tears welling up in his eyes and that feeling of warmth very briefly blossoming in his chest. He thought about what she had just said to him, something meant for his ears alone.

“Happy 15th Birthday, Changkyun.”

Turning his eyes back to the book, he began to flip through to the first page and finally let the tears run down his face. He sobbed quietly and clutched the book to his chest, not wanting anyone to see or to hear. At the top of the first page, in the chicken-scratch he’d never thought he’d see again, was one sentence. One sentence that made him yearn for the Mother of the library to come hold him like she had when he was just a child. It made him wish that she could be that person to him again, that he didn’t have to be on good behavior all the time just to see her for an hour every other day. That he didn’t have to keep his mouth shut whenever someone assaulted him for their own pleasure for fear of being kept from her. That made him wish that she could read _Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland_ to him one last time.

_I still love you, my Kyunnie._

_*******************************************************************************************************************************_

Changkyun felt warmth on his face. Confused, he opened his eyes slowly. _Sunlight?_

Sitting up, it all started to flood back to him. Everything that had happened the day prior, the memory he had just relived, all of it. Before he could think on hit, he heard a knocking.

“Come in,” he said, through feeling like sandpaper was dragged across it. In popped in Ki, pink hair still clearly fluffed up from sleep. He came in with a bright smile on his face.

“Wakey wakey,” he said, keeping his voice low so as not to wake the rest of the home. “I’ve got some breakfast for you!” Ki held up a tray that Changkyun hadn’t noticed, on it was a glass of orange juice, and a plate of toast and eggs, all of which Ki explained to the puppy. By the time he was done pointing out the different things, he glanced up to look Changkyun in the eyes. That’s when he noticed the puffiness of his eyes. Immediately panicked, Ki set the tray down and reached for his face.

“Oh my god, what’s wrong Changkyun? Are you hurt? Did one of your wounds open?” Ki was sure that he should be healed by now. As he fretted about him, checking the young man and making sure he was fine, Changkyun made a request of him.

“Uh, Kih-I mean hyung?” he asked, trying to implement the things he learned the day before. “May I have a hug?”

Ki stared at him, he had asked it so formally that he hadn’t expected it. He quickly went to reassure the puppy when he saw the boy seem to deflate at the lack of answer.

“Of course you can! You can always come to me if you need anything, hugs are included. And you never ever have to ask, okay?” He held his arms open and beckoned the smaller to crawl into his arms. And as they sat there, holding onto each other, Ki rocked them back and forth and whispered sweet nothings to him.

“You’re safe here, Kyunnie. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want, so don’t worry okay?” At hearing his nickname his mother use to call him, Changkyun’s shoulders began to shake.

After a moment, Ki noticed his shirt begin to dampen. He chose not to say anything and opted instead to rub circles into the puppy’s lower back, making him feel safer than he had felt in years.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> Sorry for taking so long on another update, a ton of stuff going on here! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, love you all! <3
> 
> P.S.: My friend's little sister started her own Etsy page, so if you wanna check that out follow this link! She's doing a cute KPOP mystery box, just bought mine!   
> *(pls note she did not ask me to post this, I just wanna promote someone who also love KPOP!)*
> 
> https://www.etsy.com/listing/953884533/kpop-mystery-box?ref=shop_home_active_1&frs=1&crt=1

One by one, the pack rose and began their morning routines. Jooheon and Minhyuk racing one another to the same bathroom, despite there being at least three in the home, Hyunwoo putting on his suit and packing his brief case, and Wonho dragging Hyungwon out of bed with threats of throwing his favorite pillows out the window. They were a noisy bunch, but Ki never tired of the noise.

Having left Changkyun in the room to eat his breakfast, Kihyun came back out to finish preparing food for the rest of his brood, the smell of his fried rice and eggs slowly but surely luring them all in. After a few minutes, everyone was seated at the table, plates already full and ready to dig in.

“All righty boys, time to eat!” Ki exclaimed, finding himself hungrier than usual. He noticed he’d been more tired from the last few days and was ready to replenish some energy. As he brought a spoonful of rice to his mouth, he reflected on what he saw that morning. The young pup, disheveled and in tears, asking him for something as simple as a hug. But then again, was it that simple? It was a gesture that many take for granted, in many places it is even considered a greeting. So, when he told the boy he could hug him, he did not expect him to cling onto him so desperately. The tell-tale signs still present on his now wrinkled shirt. Thinking back on it, he could still feel the warmth of the pups face as it was buried into his shoulder. Looking down at his shirt, his nose caught a whiff of a new scent. Confused, he inhaled a bit deeper. Just as soon as he had noticed it, it was gone again.

Still lost in thought, he hadn’t even realized Jooheon was speaking to him. “Hellooooooo, earth to Ki. You still with us?” Shaking his head, he just looked at Jooheon, confused.

Sighing, the red head repeated himself in a whisper. “So, how’s Changkyun? Is he feeling better? I’ve never known it to take so long to bounce back from injuries like this.” Despite it having only been three days, most wolves would have been fully recovered after a days rest, albeit fairly sore. Ki was also worried about the slow bounce, fearing it may very well be linked with what they were doing to him in the breeding facility.

After gathering his thoughts, he finally responded. “Well…he is physically on the mend, however, his recovery time seems significantly slower than ours and I’m not one hundred percent sure why, though I have my guesses” he paused, glancing at Hyunwoo. With a small shake of his head, Ki skips his and Hyunwoo’s theory for the time being and continues. “Mentally, I think it would help to get him evaluated. He’s been through a serious trauma, and I know we’ve all noticed how easily frightened he is.”

They all nodded in agreement, collectively worried over how scared he seemed the day before at any physical touch. It was in a wolf’s nature to want physical touch, with some sub-gender’s craving it so desperately that it sometimes pained them to be deprived of it. Even Alpha’s, despite being the strong pillars to their packs, had an inclination for touch.

“I know someone we can take him to, granted he’s a child psychologist. But, he’s great and is very discreet.” Min chimed in. In a world drenched in politics, it comes as no surprise that anyone can be bought out for information. Doctors, Therapists, Lawyers, and even Judges. Everyone had a price. And something about the pup’s case had his mind thinking maybe discretion for now would be the best course of action.

Nodding, Ki turned his attention back to his food and continued eating. After a nice bit of comfortable silence, the only sound being chewing and utensils touching ceramic, everyone finished up their meal and began to clean up.

Standing and turning to take his plate to the sink, Jooheon let out a yelp as he came into contact with a small form, knocking it over and dropping his plate in the process. He watched as the ceramic shattered and realized he had knocked over their small guest.

“Oh no, Changkyun! Are you okay? I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you were right there.” Jooheon stuck out his lower lip in a pout, leaning down to help him up. Before he could do so, Changkyun started to pick up the broken pieces, his fingers getting nicked in the process.

The pack watched the pup as he yanked his hand back, blood already running from the new cut. Before Ki could dart off for the first aid kit, he froze in his tracks. They all did, as they watched Changkyun bring his hand up to his mouth and slowly lick the blood off his fingers. Something so innocent for the pup. It was something that shouldn’t have made the heat pool in their abdomen’s, and Ki felt that maybe if it were the day prior, it might not have caused it. But looking at Changkyun, they started to notice it.

Changkyun was flushed, the blush of pinkish-red going up his neck and to his ears. He was panting, his chest rising and falling. His eyes seemed to glaze over, and he let out what to him seemed to be a whine of pain, but to the pack sounded like a moan. He looked at all their faces, noticing how intense their stares were. It took a moment for him to process it, to really understand it himself. Anyone else may have simply thought he had gotten sick, but not wolves. The pups eyes widen as it finally clicked what was happening, a truth he was hoping would never come to light.

His sub-gender was blossoming.

If his sudden silence wasn’t enough to worry them, the emotions that passed over his face certainly were. They watched as he broke from his daze, into realization, and then into fear. Before anyone could do anything, he sprinted to the guest room he had slept in and slammed the door shut. They all could smell it in the air, fear and utter hopelessness hung heavy in the air.

Hyunwoo was the first to collect himself, herding his other two Alpha’s to the living room with him. “Ki, can you take them with you and see what you can do for Changkyun?”

“O-of course, yes. Wonnie, Honey, can you guys go grab some pillows and blankets from everyone’s rooms?” He directed the other two Beta’s, breaking them from their trance. As they ran off, Ki approached the shut door and gave it a light tap. He could still smell the fear, but it was in battle with his overall scent. It was intoxicating, smelling of oranges and chocolate.

“Changkyun, are you okay?” Silence. He tried again. “Kyunnie, we’re worried about you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.” Kihyun heard shuffling then, and sighed in relief when he saw the pups face peek between the door and the frame. “What’s got you so scared puppy?” Without responding, Changkyun turned away and crawled into the bed, leaving the door open as invitation for Ki to follow. Obliging, Ki sat next to him and began to pet his hair. He watched as the small form melted under his touch, bringing a smile to his face. And they stayed that way for a few minutes, and just as suddenly as Changkyun fell silent, he spoke.

“Hyung?” He sounded so small and unsure.

“What is it sweetheart?”

“What…what will the Alpha’s of your pack do to me once my sub-gender is revealed?”

Ki paused in his petting. It was a question that, had he not already had an inkling about where the boy came from, would have confused him. Of course, how could he not realize it?!

“If you’re asking if they’ll hurt you, I can promise you that they would never do that. Not in a million years would they ever be able to bring themselves to do something to you against your wishes. And I want you to know Changkyun,” Ki returned to his petting, this time giving his ears a rub as well, “we will never let anyone hurt you ever again. This is your home now too, and we protect our own.”

The pup seemed to shiver, and Ki went to pull up the comforter only to realize the boy was shaking from crying. Ki continued to comfort him until the other two Beta’s returned with items they would need. Ki watched at Jooheon and Hyungwon turned the bed into a mini nest, propping pillows, blankets, and even hoodies up into a nice cozy pile. They all watched as the pup circled it, sniffing it out. His ears came up, visibly excited and clearly distracted from his earlier tears. He all but burrowed into the pile, purring in bliss. The three Beta’s glancing at each other, each about to head out.

“Wait!” his low voice came from well within the soft pile, his head popping up suddenly. The three turned towards him, ready to help in any way that they could.

“Hyungwon hyung, could we do that nap thing again?” His head was cocked to the side, the blush still present on his cheeks and his eyes once again glazed over. Smiling, and more than happy to oblige, Hyungwon climbed into the pile with the pup, already snuggling up to him. A sigh of bliss leaving his lips.

Ki nearly had to drag Jooheon out, who was insisting that he join in on the cuddle pile as well. Hyungwon simply laughed and waved them away, already getting lost in the heat and smell of Changkyun. The two Beta’s went back into the dining room to clean up the forgotten plate pieces, and finish cleaning the table. Ki had just started the dish washer when he heard the doorbell. Confused, he looked at Jooheon.

“Do you know if anyone had someone coming over?”

“No, not that I know of.”

Ki, now curious, went to the entryway of the home to check. From the peephole, all he could see were the chests two people in what appeared to be suits. Thoroughly confused now, he opened the door, but not before hitting the security call button next to the light switch. A nifty little device Hyunwoo had installed, alerting everyone in the pack that there might be trouble at the door.

“Can I help you gentleman?” Ki asked, putting on his well-mannered façade.

“Hello, my name is Jax, and this is Jin, we’re with a pack on the outskirts of town. We’re actually trying to find one of our pack members,” Jax nodded to Jin, who pulled a folded flyer out of his coat pocket and handed it to Ki. “He nothing more than a pup, really, but he has us all worried. His mother most of all. Have you perhaps seen him around?”

Ki unfolded the flyer, and felt his stomach drop. In the center of the creased paper was an image of Changkyun. But Ki, being the face of the pack, hid any trace of shock and simply shook his head. “No, I’m so sorry we haven’t seen him anywhere. But we’ll keep this in case we do, okay?”

Hi tone left no room for continued conversation, and he went to shut the door. The foot that had been wedged in it, however, prevented him from doing so. He felt the dread begin to build up as Jin, the larger of the two Alpha’s pushed the door back open, allowing Jax to take a few steps in.

“Such a lovely home you have here,” he glanced at the entry way, then eyed up Ki. “Hm, your Alpha must be lucky to have a fun toy like you around.” The smile on Jax face barely hid the malice and ill-intent in his words. Before Ki could gather himself to kick them out, he felt something speed from behind him, and suddenly Jax was laid out on the sidewalk outside. Standing over him was a very angry Wonho. Jin, enraged, went to lunge for Ki, only to be sent flying out the door, Hyunwoo having body checked him. The two Alpha’s scrambled back up and backed away, putting space between them and the pack house.

“What do we do?” Jin whispered, speaking for the first time since their arrival.

“Don’t worry, Conny is-“ he was cut off when the full weight of a body hit him, knocking him over yet again. Groaning, he sat up and shoved the body off of him, only to realize he was staring at the face of an unconscious Alpha. His head snapped up, as he watched someone coming from the side of the house and join the other two opposing Alpha’s. The three stared them down, daring them to continue.

“Woah now, no need for all this hostility,” Jaz said with a laugh, standing up and brushing the snow off, “we were just trying to find our pup. Clearly, he ain’there.” The other three were unamused, and remained silent. “We’ll just take our friend here and get going, all right?” Jax and Jin bent down, each slinging one of Conny’s arms over their shoulders and heading back to their car.

Hyunwoo watched them like a hawk, not taking his eyes off of them till the car was long over the hill at the end of the property. Taking a deep breath, he turned back and signaled for the two other Alpha’s to follow him in. Once there, he immediately checked over Ki, he let out a sign of relief and held him in a tight embrace.

“I’m so glad you’re okay” he whispered into the smaller mans hair.

“Hey now, it’s gonna take more than a couple of annoying Alpha’s to take me down.” Ki had meant it as a joke to break the tension, but he was shaking. Despite the façade, it was clear to them that he was rattled from the interaction. Thinking it was probably a good time for a pack meeting, Hyunwoo had Jooheon take Ki to the living room and get him tea for his nerves and sending Minhyuk with them. He then turned to Wonho.

“Can you go get Wonnie and the pup, this needs to happen now.” As much as Hyunwoo didn’t want to discomfort their new friend, especially while he was currently laid up, it was a conversation they needed to have sooner rather than later. Nodding, Wonho jotted off to the room.

Hyunwoo sighed yet again, and headed to their living room, knowing full well it wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. _Is anything ever easy for us?_

_*****************************************************************_

Jin drove through the oncoming snow storm, knuckles white from the grip he had on the steering wheel. He was angry, furious that they allowed such low-level Alpha’s as those get the jump on them. As he seethed, he heard Jax laughing to himself.

“What’s so funny?” he said, eyes never leaving the road.

“Oh nothing, just thinking about how nice their home was.” He was all but cackling at this point. Still confused, Jin raised an eyebrow. Jax went on.

“It was so well lit, and the décor was beautiful, but do you wanna know my favorite part?” He didn’t wait for a response. He didn’t change his tone or the volume of his voice. But Jin could feel it, he could feel the anger filling the air in the car, the rage and lust behind his next words.

“The smell.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there!
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this, it's my first work on this platform!
> 
> Any and all feedback/criticism is welcomed, everything you say will only help me perfect my writing!


End file.
